Women 'set up' to fail by landing jobs with troubled firms

Women bosses are being 'set up to fail' because they only land top jobs with firms which are in trouble, research reveals today.

Companies with falling shareprices and collapsing profits are more likely to appoint a woman to be the boss, than a man.

The research, from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, has dubbed the problem facing women - the 'glass cliff'.

If they manage to break through the famous 'glass ceiling', which hinders womens progress to the top, they have to battle another major hurdle.

The so-called 'glass cliff' is a reference to the fact that their leadership positions are 'relatively risky or precarious' as they are joining firms in crisis.

By accepting such positions, they are more likely to face possible career suicide by falling off the cliff if they do not rescue the failing company.

Dianah Worman, the CIPD's diversity adviser, said: "Female leaders are all too often set up to fail.

"Due to limited opportunities open to female leaders, many are forced to take the more difficult jobs in organisations with a history of poor performance."

Women are only offered the top jobs at failing companies because the firm is desperate, and may struggle to find a man prepared to accept the job.

But women, who struggle to land top jobs, do not have such a choice of offers which means they often accept the less attractive positions.

The research, 'Women in the boardroom: The risks of being at the top', found big companies which hire women have usually "experienced consistently poor performance in the months preceding the appointment".

One female executive, who was not named, told the researchers about the problems that high-powered women face.

She said: "A woman has fewer and fewer employment opportunities the higher she climbs the career ladder so she is willing to take a job, even if it is risky.

"A man, on the other hand, would have a number of job opportunities to choose from. Therefore, he would select the best one."

Women also have a better reputation as "firefighters", a reference to the fact that they are good in a crisis, which means many failing firms favour them.

Researchers compared women to teabags, because "you don't know how strong they are until you put them in hot water."

But even if they succeed in their firefighting role, women said it did not mean they are guaranteed an easy ride up the rest of the career ladder.

One said: "I was personally promoted into a difficult management role where a previous male manager had failed with the hope that I would turn it around.

"When I did, the 'reward' was to be moved to another turnaround role - without any financial reward or kudos.

"Meanwhile, male peers appear to work less hard and fewer hours in maintenance roles - and with greater reward.

"I often wonder if I'm just a fool to accept such challenges. I doubt that the men would."

It comes as a recent report revealed the number of women working as senior managers at Britain's top firms has collapsed by nearly 50 per cent.

Soaring numbers are deserting their high-flying jobs to set up their own business because corporate life clashes with family life.

In 2002, women accounted for 34 per cent of all FTSE 100 senior management jobs. Today, they hold just 18 per cent.

The report, from the accountants Pricewaterhouse Coopers, says the blame largely lies with the cost of childcare forcing women out of these jobs.

At this level, they have been highly successful in their careers but are still at least one rung of the ladder below director or executive level.

But, for many women, their salaries are not big enough to keep on working and pay for decent childcare after they become mothers.

The birth of their children acts as a trigger to set up their own business, which gives them a chance to be a mother and earning a living.